


The Fall of the Sun

by demistories, humanagain



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Gen, Minor Character Death, prewrite of trials of apollo, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-05-29 03:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6356506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demistories/pseuds/demistories, https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanagain/pseuds/humanagain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Apollo is fantastic. He's hilarious and gorgeous and one of the best. He just makes mistakes occasionally. Whatever. Who cares? He’s a god, and gods can do anything. But for once, he’s actually getting punished for his behavior. So when he gets dumped in the middle of New York City, powerless and mortal, what is he going to do? You can check getting punched in the face off the list. Now he just has to fix his Oracle and get his immortality back. Easy. Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Look, I Didn’t Ask to be a Mortal

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally here!! The long awaited ~Mystery Project~
> 
> Disclaimer: while this _is_ a prewrite of the Trials of Apollo, no disrespect is meant towards Rick or the actual book. We simply really love Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and wanted to write a version with the same basic premise with her being one of the main characters. Neither of us have read the excerpt that Rick released, so we really have no idea what the actual book will be like, and this is all purely from our own minds. We're both really looking forward to reading the actual book and seeing what direction Rick takes it in!
> 
> A huge thank you to [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com/) for being the real MVP and beta-ing for us. <3 
> 
> Enjoy chapter one! B)

I was burning. I know, I know, I’m the sun god, yeah, yeah, puns. Whatever. I’m not trying to be funny this time. My head was so hot with anger that I thought it would explode, and I, the heat-resistant god of the sun, was burning.

Angry at the gods, angry at myself, angry at the universe and everything in it. Yeah, I messed up. Can’t we just move on? I was childish, and Octavian was a little bitch. That’s all that happened. I mean, how likely was it that he actually would have succeeded? A self-absorbed nitwit like that? Not a chance.

You know, I never thought I would envy Octavian. But right then, I did. Because, like Octavian, I very much wanted to fling myself into the sun. For my pettiness, I had everything taken from me— my chariot, my _immortality_. Yeah. Getting flung into the sun sounded like a great idea. I had nothing left to lose.

My vision turned red as the ichor in my veins was replaced with liquid rage. It controlled me from the inside, guiding my arm behind me, squeezing my hand into a fist, and propelling it forward. It opened my mouth to release a scream of anguish and desperation as my knuckles made contact with the wall I had been leaning on just moments before. I pulled my hand away to see blood. Mortal blood. I guess that had turned red too. Everything golden in my life faded to dull, dark colors in a single instant. Here I was, stuck in New York City, when just minutes before I had been lounging on Mount Olympus. Dropped on my ass smack-dab in the middle of Central Park with no warning, like I was a piece of trash waiting to be disposed.

Real classy, Zeus. Real fuckin’ classy. You know, you would’ve gotten my vote for the “Dad of the Year” award, but you just blew it.

I didn’t realize I had said that out loud. Of course. Mortals staring. Just what I need in my lowest moments. Mortals. Always showing up when they’re the least convenient. The gods hadn’t even been kind enough to cover my shame with the mist as the blood from my hands covered the grass.  

"Well, now that I have your attention," I yelled, gesturing wildly around me and to myself. "This? IT'S NOT FAIR." I don’t remember what I said, didn’t realize I was screaming my throat raw until the sounds coming out of my mouth morphed into coughs and shallow breaths. A woman cautiously approached me.

“Honey? Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” she asked.

“School?” I looked down at my bloody hands— too smooth to belong to anyone older than 30. I was a teenager. _Amazing._ I glanced back up at the woman, who was staring at me questioningly. “Oh, right, uh… we have today off?”

“Okay…” she pursed her lips but nodded and walked away. I realized that standing in one spot and screaming was going to get me noticed, and I definitely didn’t want that. So I pulled myself together as much as I could and walked out of the park.

I don’t really know how long I walked for or where I walked to. My head was down the whole time, and my fists were clenched at my sides. My thoughts circled and circled in a winding path of ‘how dare they do this.’

My eyes were still trained on the ground when I bumped into someone. It couldn't even really be classified as a bump. It was more of a brush, just a grazing of shoulders.

“Watch where you’re going, you little shit,” he grumbled, shoving me aside much harder than I’d “bumped” him.

Something inside me flared. I grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him to face me, and punched him in the face. The blood from my knuckles smeared across his jaw. "Tell me what to do one more time, asshole," I sneered.

The thing about being an immortal god is that you usually don't have to watch out for your well-being. The thing about being a mortal is that you sort of have to.

With a single, hard shove, I was pushed off the sidewalk and into an alley. "You think you're tough, pretty boy? Huh?" He grabbed me by the shirt collar and pushed me up against the wall, the harsh bricks digging into my back.

I gritted my teeth. “Yeah. I am.” I kicked him hard in the crotch.  

He doubled over, releasing me from his grip. “Motherfucker!" he yelled, his voice an octave higher and music to my ears.

“I knew the original one. A pretty nice guy, actually,” I smirked and crossed my arms. I was going to savor every second of kicking his ass. And yet, in my moment of triumph, I’d failed to notice his fist hurtling towards my cheek.

Though I admit that I earned that punch, it hurt like a bitch.

In retaliation, I drew my arm back for a punch, gathering up power in my fist. I swung, ready to unleash the entire sun on the dickhead. I wasn't ready for my wrist to collapse and pain to shoot up my arm as I made contact with his chest.

_What just happened?_

He glared at my limp hand, then me. Snarling, he went to hit me again and I immediately threw up my hands to protect my face, and the rest of me, with a burst of light.

Instead, my vision darkened as my back hit the wall again. The air rushed out of me in a gasp as his fist made solid contact with my gut. I cried out and lowered my arms. “That wasn't supposed to happen,” I wheezed.

He gave me a _who-the-fuck-is-this-kid-and-what-the-fuck-is-he-doing_ look, and I had the same thought.

 _What the fuck am I doing?_ Or rather why the fuck was I not doing what I wanted to? I drew in deep breaths, trying to pull away. As he landed punch after punch and my every attempt at defending myself failed, it started to hit me in every sense of the word— my powers were gone.

Shit.

Pain exploded across my face as the heel of his hand made perfect contact with my nose. As blood began to drip from my chin, my resolve seemed to cascade to the ground with it. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe. I just stopped fighting back. All I could think was, _I’m actually going to die_. In a disgusting, gross back alleyway, killed by some mortal asshat. It wasn’t even an honorable way to die— my entire existence had decided to throw itself into Tartarus, and it was clear that I was about to earn my place there too.

The world was starting to blur when he released his grip on me, and I dropped to the ground, resulting in just as many, if not more, bruises than I already had. My body was throbbing all over and blood pounded in my head. I barely even felt it when he kicked me in the gut. White noise filled my head, and static clouded my vision, like I was some faulty 1960’s television. I began to slip into unconsciousness, and my head was pounding. I could barely make out my attacker straddling me, and shocking no one, all I could think was _this is really gay._ His fist pulled back to finish the job, and I was going to die— no, I was already dying.

Before my eyes failed me entirely, I saw a flash of movement. A small figure soundlessly rushed into the alleyway, and my attacker slumped forward. I felt him being pushed off of me, and the figure leaned down to my ear, its hair tickling my face.

The last thing I heard before the world turned black was a lilting, singsong voice whispering, “You’re fucking welcome, bitch.”


	2. Don't Talk to Strangers, Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April Fools! You thought we were updating next week, but surprise! We're impatient. But we're also really excited to share this chapter with everyone!
> 
> Thank you to [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com/) and [bananannabeth](http://bananannabeth.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing!
> 
> Enjoy!

By the time the universe righted itself enough for me to open my eyes again, my savior was gone, and my attacker was on the ground unconscious. I sat up, head spinning. Gritting my teeth, I pulled myself up the wall and shakily got back on my feet. With all of my remaining strength, I gave him a hard kick in the side. It was petty, but he deserved more than just a kick.

I scanned the alleyway for somewhere to hide him  and settled on the dumpster. Hey, it was where he belonged, anyway. I grabbed him by the wrists and dragged his limp body towards the trash pile. My wrist throbbed with the effort of hauling him over the edge, but it was worth it. I brushed my hands on my jeans, wiped the still-gushing blood from my nose, congratulated myself on a job well done, and strode out of the alleyway.

I would’ve looked awesome, if it weren’t for the limp.

Suddenly, there was a painful ache in my stomach, like a weird cramp or something, but... Whatever. It wasn't important. It was probably some mortal thing. I had to get back everything I’d lost— I couldn’t waste time on some weird cramp that was probably just a side effect of suddenly being mortal. I picked up the pace as much as I could and continued walking— completely aimlessly, as a lost, hungry god is wont to do. _Hungry_. That was it. I was fucking hungry. I was a mortal that needed to shove food into his stupid mouth.

I figured I’d just move on and deal with it later, but then my vision tunneled and I doubled over, the pain crescendoing exponentially. Honestly? What the fuck. There are more important things to do than shoving food into your mouth, but there I was, on the verge of passing out over something as stupid as this. I felt the stares of a few passerby baring into my back, and I didn’t blame them.

I looked pathetic, I felt pathetic, and that was because, surprise! I was pathetic. Pathetic enough to be starving and not have any money on me. Zeus really was the absolute worst. He definitely knew that I’d need food and a place to stay, but he’d dropped me in the worst situation he could. After a few millennia, I should’ve stopped expecting anything from him at all.

I staggered around, clutching my stomach, and trying to convince myself that my mortal body wasn’t weak. That I was a _god._ That years of only drops of ambrosia to eat, which had been all I’d needed, would be enough to hold me over. That it _should_ be enough to hold me over. But it wasn’t. And I wasn’t a god anymore. I was weak. Weak enough that my downfall would be some _asshat mortal_ and a lack of _mortal food._ And clearly, that I wasn’t good enough.

I wanted to curl up on the ground and die. Instead, I settled for slumping on a park bench and staring ahead at nothing. Most people just passed by the bruising, bleeding kid on the edge of the park.

 _This is where your great Apollo stands now_ , I thought bitterly. Blood leaked steadily from my lip, and it was hard to see from my right eye. My wrist was swollen, and I felt _broken_. Not bones, I would’ve known if something had physically snapped, but I was broken all the same. As the sun — _my_ sun — started to dip towards the skyline and vanish, the last complete part of me shattered.

My sun was gone.

I was no longer a god.

I was _nothing_.

My cheeks were wet and hot with something. I wiped them quickly, relieved to see that my eye wasn’t bleeding, but part of me sank when I realized I was crying. I was mortal, I was weak, I was bleeding, and I was _pathetic_. One sob escaped me, and then there was nothing I could do to hold the others back.

I was so wrapped up in my own failure as a god— as a human being—that I didn't notice when someone sat down next to me. When she placed a hand on my shoulder, I jerked away.

Her hand hovered in the air, a concerned look flitting across her face. "Are you okay, honey?" she asked softly, care and worry evident in her voice.

My pain hardened into stone, my sadness burst into flames. I wasn't someone she could touch. I wasn't someone she could call pet names and coo at. I didn't need to be protected.

Until I remembered that I did.

I was just a kid. Some scrawny teenager, covered in blood and crying on a park bench. Any half decent parent would be concerned. Most somewhat decent people would at least spare me a glance.

I wiped my eyes with my forearm, careful not to spread the blood all over my face or apply any pressure on my swollen eye. I started to answer her, but when I tried, the words wouldn't come. I ended up settling for shaking my head.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her hand returning to my shoulder.

I scrambled for any believable cover story. "I... I, um... got kicked out of my house."

For a moment, her hand gripped my shoulder. "Oh, that's terrible! What happened?"

"I made my dad angry," I said, staring determinedly at the ground.

"Do you need a place to stay?"

I started to shake my head again. I couldn't ask that of a stranger. She was generous and clearly caring, but my pride would never let me accept an offer like that. But I had nowhere else to go, and I needed at least somewhere to sleep and something to eat.

I sighed and made my choice before my resolve melted. I glanced up at her. "If it's not too much trouble..."

"It's not any trouble at all! My son Percy won't be home for a while anyway," she said cheerfully. Her smile couldn't hide the deep sadness in her eyes.    

_Percy? Wait..._

I blinked. "I forgot to ask, what's your name?"

"Oh! I probably should have mentioned it before you agreed to stay in my house!" She laughed. "My name's Sally Jackson," she said, holding out her hand for me to shake.

I stared at her hand, and then looked up to her, my eyes wide. I suddenly recognized her soft but worried smile. She didn’t know me, but I knew her from years of watching Percy. Percy Jackson may be fated with a terrible life, but he’d been blessed with the best mother. "Sally Jackson?" I asked. When she nodded, I let out a breathless laugh. "My uncle talks about you all the time!"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, slightly alarmed.

I took her still outstretched hand and shook it. "My name's Apollo," I said.

Her jaw dropped, and she gave me a quick once over, her eyes lingering on my fists and bruises.

"Let me explain."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's left comments and kudos! They mean the world! <3
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com/), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com/) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com/). B)


	3. Why Can't Sally Jackson Be My Mom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're back with your weekly dose of everyone's favorite god-turned-mortal! 
> 
> Thank you to [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing and being awesome <3
> 
> Enjoy! B)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support we've gotten so far! <3 All your comments and kudos mean the world!
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com/), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com/) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com/). B)

All things considered, Sally was doing a good job staying calm as she led me back to her apartment. Then again, maybe she was just used to weird shit happening around her.

We didn’t talk much, other than her asking if I was alright and saying that we weren’t far. Which was perfectly fine with me. I was happy with wallowing in my own depressing thoughts before having to explain my utter failure to someone else.

By the time we made it up the stairs of Sally’s building, my legs felt like they were about to give out and I was just about ready to collapse. Sally checked in on me one more time when we got to the door before reaching into her pocket for the key.  

There was some strange finality that settled in when the lock to the apartment clicked open. If I had been in a vaguely optimistic mood, maybe it would’ve felt like new beginnings. Unfortunately, my mood was on the opposite end of the spectrum, and it felt an awful lot like everything I knew was being sealed away.

"Paul?” Sally called into the apartment as I stood awkwardly behind her.

“In here,” came the reply from the kitchen. A man with salt-and-pepper hair—Paul Blofis, I figured— stepped out. Paul brushed his hands off on his jeans, strode towards us and gave Sally a peck on the lips. There was something about the way she looked afterwards that I couldn’t quite place— like she was smiling with her entire being. Even if the change was infinitesimal, I could tell that she stood up a little straighter, her eyes crinkled the tiniest bit at the corners, and the corners of her lips barely turned up.

After all we’d put her through, I’m glad she got her happy ending.

Just then, Paul caught sight of me, and his eyes clouded over in confusion. “Who’s the kid?” He gave me a once-over and the confusion turned to concern. “Dang,” he whispered. “What happened to you?”

Sally shifted nervously. “Well, uh, I think we’d better sit down.” We situated ourselves on the couch, and I was careful not to get any blood on it. Which should not have been so much of a challenge, but here we are. Sally took a deep breath. “So, uh, do you want to introduce yourself?”

I held out a blood-caked hand. “I’m… Apollo.”

He took my hand and shook it. His grip was firm, sincere. Welcoming. “Nice name! After the greek god, right?”

I laughed uncomfortably. “Anyone who uses that name is named after me.”

He smiled at Sally. “He’s got quite the ego then!”

“No! Well, yes, but uh. I’m actually Apollo.”

Paul chuckled but then made eye contact with me. He clearly noticed the sincerity in my eyes, as the laugh froze on his expression. “You’re actually Apollo,” he said incredulously. When neither Sally nor I denied it, he exhaled. “Damn.”

“Relatable,” I replied, deadpan.

He cocked his head. “What are you doing here?” Panic overtook his features and his fists clenched. “ _Did something happen to Percy?”_

“No, no, he's fine!” I reassured him hastily. I took a deep breath. “Excuse my language, but the reason I'm here is because I fucked up. I didn't try to find you guys, but Sally’s maternal instincts are pretty incredible.” She gave me a pained smile. I could tell she'd missed being a mom. I guess I was the shitty substitute kid for now. Sally deserved better. Though I admit, I _am_ pretty great.

“So, Apollo, care to enlighten me on how you, um, effed up?”

“It's… A mess, to be honest. Basically, I tried to overthrow the entirety of Olympus and dethrone my fuckboy dad, but of course I _had_ to choose the biggest dipshit on the planet to help me carry it out. So he got rocket-launched directly into the sun, my master plan failed, and Zeus punished me by taking away my powers and immortality. I landed in New York, got punched a lot, and was feeling sorry for my dumb ass on a park bench when Sally found me and offered me a place to stay. Long story short, I'm an idiot, and Sally Jackson is a fucking saint.”

Paul gave a disbelieving look at Sally, as if to say _what have you gotten us into?_ I didn't blame them. But then Paul looked back at me with a hint of something in his eyes. What was that, pity? No. It was _sympathy._ Gods knew I needed some of that right now.

“Okay, Apollo. Let's get you cleaned up,” Paul said, with only the smallest hint of resignation in his voice. I sighed with relief in my knowledge that Paul and Sally were letting me stay with them, even though I was putting their lives in danger just by existing. Paul stood up and strode over to a room with the door closed. He stared at the door for half a second, almost imperceptible, then opened it and strode inside. I caught a flash of blue wallpaper before Paul quickly stepped outside and let go of the doorknob as soon as the blue faded, as if the sight of the room and the feel of the doorknob burned his eyes and hands. _Percy’s room,_ I realized with a jolt. They clearly hadn't been inside it in ages. It hurt too much.

Paul went into a different room and returned empty-handed. He came over to me and pointed at where he had just come from. “That's the bathroom,” he stated. “I put some clothes in there. Wash yourself off; the towels are in the closet.” He clapped a hand onto my shoulder and nodded towards the bathroom.

“Thank you so much, really.” I said to both of them. Sally gave me a smile, and with that, I stood up and made my way to the bathroom.


	4. I Go Through A Midlife Crisis at Roughly Age 6000

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We both really love Sally and Paul. 
> 
> Warning: discussion of suicidal thoughts and mental health
> 
> Thanks to [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing!! <3
> 
> Enjoy!

After a much needed shower, I dried myself off and started to put on the clothes Paul had set out for me. They felt wrong on me, like they didn't fit. Not only in the visual sense, but also in some weird metaphysical way that I couldn't quite place. I gave myself a once-over in the mirror.

“Well at least I'm still hot, amirite ladies, gents, and humans of all genders?” I said to my reflection. I saw myself deflate. “Who am I kidding.” Percy’s clothes were baggy on me. He was much taller and much more muscular than I was— would you look at that! Zeus hadn't only made me a teenager, he'd made me a _scrawny_ teenager. Scrawnier than even Valdez is— well, was. Awesome.

My tan, freckled skin was cut all over. I had a black eye, a cut on my lip, my nose was bleeding, and my jawline was bruised as all hell. The front of my dark brown curls were matted down with blood from a scrape on my forehead and another next to my eye. The only thing that still resembled my preferred form were my eyes— they were still a piercing golden color. Maybe I would’ve looked _pretty_ without the injuries, but I preferred to look hot, no pun intended. I generally looked muscular and filled-out, but this form looked tiny— I couldn’t have been more than 5’4”. I seemed delicate. I mean, how the fuck was I supposed to pick up hot guys like this? That should’ve been the least of my worries right then, but still. Let my bi ass live.

Also, the guy seems great and has good intentions, but honestly, who let Paul Blofis attempt to match clothing? He had given me a pair of dark blue jeans and an orange shirt. Orange? Really? Upon closer inspection, I realized the shirt was inside out. I righted it and stared at the black text in the middle. _Camp Half-Blood._  In a single surreal, almost cartoonish moment, you could see me do a double take and a lightbulb flicker above my head. _That's it!_ I thought, _Camp Half-Blood. They'll help me there… Right?_

That could be debatable. But what other choice did I have? I couldn’t just mooch off of Sally and Paul until my powers and immortality just magically showed up again. I mean, I could. That’d be a dick move, though.

I didn't have options. Well I _did_ , but none of them were great options. Camp Half-Blood... Camp Half-Blood was as close to home as I was going to get. Not that I necessarily wanted to be home, but I also didn't want to be chased down by monsters. I still didn't know how that was going to work, and I'd rather not find out. To be surrounded by people who would at least somewhat understand... Because at this point, who hasn't been subject to Zeus' fuckery? Yeah, Camp sounded way more appealing than being homeless and wandering around New York City until I sorted things out.

I pulled on the orange shirt. "It's a good thing orange is my color," I said jokingly, winking at myself in the mirror. Fake it till you make it, kids. Orange is ugly as fuck.

Deciding this was as good as it was going to get, I unlocked the bathroom door and peered from the hallway into the dining room. Paul was sitting at the table reading and drinking tea. There was another steaming cup across the table from it. Hearing the door creak, Paul looked up from his book— coincidentally, _The Odyssey_ — and gestured for me to come over and sit. So I did, and he pushed the drink toward me.

“I know it’s 7 at night, but I figured you’d need some caffeine,” he said. I nodded in acknowledgment and lifted the cup to my lips. Coffee. It wasn’t ambrosia, but right now, it was good enough for me.

Smelling the coffee had reminded me of my hunger. I set down the cup. “Sorry to ask, but do you have anything to eat?” Paul smiled and went to the kitchen, returning with a plate of blue cookies. I’m not even sorry to say I ate the entire thing in less than a minute.  

Looking back, I don’t know why the cookies and coffee gave me an existential crisis, but they did.

"What if I just...die."

Paul choked on his tea. "I... I don't think that's a very...ah, healthy mentality to have," he said once he'd stopped coughing.

I stared up at the ceiling. "No I mean, I can actually die now. That's new, it's never been possibility before."

He sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god. Don't say things like that, you're going to give someone a heart attack."

I shrugged. "Hey, just dealing with my mortality. That's an angsty teenager thing, right?"

Paul pushed up his glasses to press the bases of his palms into his eyes. "Angsty teenager thing? I guess. But when people say things like 'what if I just die' we tend to be a little more concerned than just 'they're an angsty teenager'. Or at least, I tend to."

"Side effect of being a teacher?"

"Side effect of knowing people who are mentally ill," he corrected. "Do gods not have to worry about that either?"

I pointedly looked away. "It's different. Once you've lived a few millennia..."

"You learn to live with it? It doesn't seem as bad?" Paul rested his elbows on his knees. "You just...stop feeling?"

"My brain works a little differently than yours." I crossed my arms. "And I didn't sign up for therapy."  

Paul seemed to surrender and returned to his tea, but then he abruptly looked up. “So it’s different for gods than it is for humans, I got that. But… what about demigods?”

I thought about that for a second. “Their issue is that they feel too much.”

Paul sunk down in his chair as if my words had pushed him.

“Sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear,” I told him. You know, I hadn’t really considered it before now, how demigods emotions work. Side effects of being a shitty dad, I guess. _Shit._ Right. I was a dad. I was going to have to go to Camp Half-Blood, and I was going to have to face _my kids._ I didn’t even know all of their names. And… some of them were older than my mortal form. I shuddered just thinking about it.

“You okay there, kid?” Paul asked.

“Yeah, sorry. Uh, this is going to sound weird coming from my adolescent face, but I was just thinking about my...kids.”

Paul gave me a once-over and chuckled. “Right. You have those.” And then he did something unexpected. He laughed. A loud, resonating laugh that projected outwards and filled the entire room. And it was infectious. I couldn’t help but start laughing, too. It was just then that Sally decided to come into the room.

“And what are you boys up to?” she asked, a smile hinted on her lips.

Paul looked up at her, taking off his glasses to wipe the tears that were welling up in his eyes. “This nerd,” he wheezed, in between laughs, “has kids.”

“Holy shit,” Sally responded, and then she started to giggle as well.  Then, it was just the three of us, sitting at a dining room table, laughing our asses off and gasping for air. _This is what a family is supposed to feel like_ , I thought. It was comforting and warm and supportive and not at all what I was used to. And it was beautiful. If Percy Jackson weren’t Percy Jackson, I’d kill to trade lives with him.

“Sorry to kill the sheer hilarity of this incredibly stupid situation, but speaking of my kids,” I cut in. “I probably should go see them.”

Sally looked at me quizzically before glancing over my shirt. “Oh.” She looked back up at me. “You want us to take you to Camp Half-Blood.”

“Yeah,” I replied. "I figure I’m inconveniencing you by staying here for too long, and it’s my best shot at getting my immortality back.”

“You’re not an inconvenience,” Sally began, surprising me. That was a new one. “But also, the drive to camp is incredibly dangerous.”

“Oh, in that case I’ll just go there myself if you give me the directions.”

“Oh gods no, I can’t let you do that. In the state you’re in right now, that would be bad news. If you really need to get to camp, I’ll go with you.”

“Me too,” Paul piped up.

Sally paled. “No. It’s too dangerous. ”

“He came here, meaning he’s my responsibility, too. Plus, I need to know you guys are safe,” Paul insisted.

She gave in. “Alright, fine. But Paul, you need to promise to trust me, and don’t try to protect me from what you don’t completely understand, alright?”

“Okay,” he promised. “I’m just the moral support. Not the bodyguard.”

“Thank you,” said Sally, the color returning to her face but the worry remaining. “But if you get hurt, Apollo, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Paul gave me a knowing glance, and I returned it. “I’ll stay alive. I can promise you that. So when do we leave?”

“I’m thinking later tonight, when it gets darker,” Sally said. “Just so nobody asks who you are or what you’re doing with us. Or thinks you’re…” she trailed off.

“Good idea,” I replied, and she sighed in relief knowing she didn’t need to finish the thought. “Tonight it is.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thank you for all the support! Every kudos, comment, reblog, and tag means the world! 
> 
> (And special sidenote from wearetheseven: thank you to everyone who's supported me through the whole blog deletion thing. Thank you so much <3)
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com/), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com/) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com/). B)


	5. I Discover That I Can Be Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com/) for beta-ing.
> 
> Sorry

We didn’t pack anything. We all silently piled into the car at around nine thirty and drove off without a word. None of the neighbors noticed or cared. I guess that’s what happens in New York City. You’re just another passerby. We drove soundlessly for a while, the silence between Paul and Sally tense and afraid, and my silence from the back seat awkward and creating a void between the three of us.

“Three miles,” came a robotic voice from the GPS. The screen had laid out a route from Sally’s place to nowhere.

Finally, Paul spoke. “Well, son, it was great meeting you.”

“It was great meeting you too,” I replied, my voice catching. _Paul called me son._ The only times Zeus called me son were when he was being condescending or making a point. For emphasis or with disappointment. With a gruff, harsh voice and anger and disdain burning in his eyes. “Son,” he had said to me as he ripped everything from me, snatched my life and threw me hurtling towards the ground.

The word burned my throat and clenched my fists. It fueled my anger. But somehow, when Paul said it, none of that was there. Just this overwhelming feeling of “you can say this word with _compassion._ ”

Where these emotions were coming from, I wasn’t sure. But what I was sure of was that if anything happened tonight, it would be my fault. But that’s no big deal, right? I’m a _god._ Mortals are disposable to me. But this time it felt different. These were two people who genuinely cared about my well-being. Not because my death would cause an imbalance of the universe, but because they cared about _me._

Two miles.

You know, I’d kind of been looking forward to getting to camp before, but now? Now that I’d met Sally and Paul, Camp Half-Blood sounded like a dystopia.

One mile.

“You will arrive at your destination in—”

We didn’t get to hear how far we had left to go because of an unearthly roar.

The car stopped short.

“What was that?” Paul asked, paling.

“Shit,” Sally breathed. The sound of footsteps—or rather, giant hoofsteps— echoed through the surrounding trees. Oh boy.

“There’s… a minotaur near camp, isn’t there,” I asked nervously.

“What’s a minotaur doing here?” Paul inquired.

“I’ll explain later,” I yelled. “Sally, just _go!_ ” Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the wheel and stepped on the gas. After only a few seconds, the car stopped short.

“We’re not moving!” Sally shouted. “Why aren’t we moving?”

I realized I’d squeezed my eyes shut, and I opened them slowly and raised my gaze. “Oh, fuck me,” I muttered. The minotaur blocking our path growled. “Okay, maybe that wasn’t the most appealing offer.”

“Get out of the car! Run!” Sally yelled. Not the best plan, but at least it was better than dying.

We flung ourselves out of the car and ran as fast as we possibly could. I darted past the minotaur, but in the shape I was in, Sally and Paul were faster. The minotaur roared and turned around, thundering after us.

We tried to outrun the mere sounds of its footsteps, and for a moment, it sounded like we had. The woods were eerily quiet as we paused for breath. Sally hunched over, hands on her knees, panting. Behind her, I saw a shadow shift in the trees. Then closer this time. Then closer, and closer, until suddenly it was so close it wasn’t a shadow anymore, and it was right behind her. In a flash, the minotaur bent its head, and the moonlight glinted off its horns which were headed straight for her back and—

“SALLY! LOOK OUT!” I screamed, lurching towards her.

But Paul beat me to it. The world moved in slow motion as Paul catapulted forward and pushed Sally out of the way.

Sally pulled herself up from the newly bloodstained ground just as Paul crumpled to it, too hurt to even acknowledge the pain from the gaping wound made by the minotaur’s horn. Sally rushed over to him and dropped to the ground, cupping his face in her hands.

“Paul? Paul, _please,_ ” she sobbed. “You promised you wouldn’t try to protect me.” He reached up to brush the tears off of her scraped up face, but his hand fell to the ground from the effort.

“My dearest partner in greatness,” Paul murmured, smiling weakly up at her.

“Shakespeare.” Sally let out a quiet, shaky laugh. “That’s from Macbeth, yeah?”

Paul didn’t answer.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a worse sound than Sally’s wail. She slumped over and wrapped her arms around herself. She turned her eyes towards the heavens, tears still leaking from her eyes in rivers.

“Why?” she whispered. She buried her face in her hands, her brown hair falling in front of it. “Gods, why?”

I stood there, transfixed, and was barely able to dodge the minotaur’s horn from piercing the top of my head. I jumped out of the way at the last instant, and it lodged in the pavement. It let out a roar.

“Sally,” I said hesitantly, “we need to go.” The minotaur grunted in its effort to remove its horn from the ground. “Now.”

She looked up at me with this crazed, gaunt expression. I averted my gaze.

 _This is my fault,_ I thought. Cradling his head in her hands, she kissed Paul on the forehead and gently set his body down. She stood up shakily, then stayed stock-still, just rooted to the spot, staring at his corpse. I grabbed her wrist gingerly, afraid that even the smallest touch would shatter her.

 _This is my fault._ I led her away, and she followed me mindlessly, numbly.

 _This is my fault._ The minotaur broke free and bellowed.

 _This is my fault._ We broke into a run, Sally’s grip on my hand tightening so much I thought I’d lose circulation and _this is my fault_ and the gate to camp was in sight and _this is my fault_ the invisible shield at the gate wouldn’t let mortals in _this is my fault—_

An arrow pierced the shield, and it shimmered for a second before disappearing.

“The shield is down for five seconds or so, go in!” a girl’s voice shouted. So we did. The gate sealed again just as we stepped through, leaving the minotaur stuck outside. A small figure vaulted onto its back, stabbing it with a golden dagger. The minotaur disintegrated into golden dust, and the figure darted off into the darkness.

Sally sunk to the ground and sobbed. And I turned away.

I thought mortals were supposed to be expendable to gods. I guess that wasn’t the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com/), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com/) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com/).


	6. I Attend the Shittiest Multi-Family Reunion of All Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♪ now there's more angst ♪  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Thanks to [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for beta reading!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow drop from a tree — Thalia's tree — like a smaller and probably less rich Batman. I tensed, reaching down to Sally. 

The shadow turned on a lantern hanging from a belt, the light creating dark shadows on her face and highlighting the dark circles under her eyes. Dark, haunted eyes. "Who are you?" Annabeth Chase demanded, lifting a knife to my neck. 

"I—" The words caught in my throat. This was a girl whose entire life had been entirely controlled by the gods. Her tolerance for bullshit was probably zero. 

"Annabeth?" Sally asked, still choking on tears. She stood up shakily and stepped towards Annabeth cautiously. 

Annabeth blinked and lowered her knife. "Sally? What are you—?" She was cut off by Sally throwing her arms around her and sobbing into her shoulder. Annabeth dropped her knife to the ground and hugged Sally tightly. 

“You're alive,” Sally whispered, her voice cracking. “Thank the gods.” 

Annabeth stepped back, holding Sally at arm’s length. “They never told you we were alive,” she murmured, sadness overcoming her features. Annabeth gave Sally a once-over, noticing the tear streaks on her face, the bloody scrape on her cheek, the smears of blood on her arms and hands. “Oh my gods,” she said. “What happened to you?” 

Sally just shook her head. 

“Paul, he… he came with us. He didn’t make it,” I sighed wearily. 

“What?” Annabeth sounded more shocked than anything, like she didn’t believe it were possible. She looked at Sally wide-eyed for some kind of rejection of this statement. Sally started crying again.

“I’m sorry, Chase,” I told her, and I meant it. But in an instant, Annabeth remembered herself, scooped up her knife and pointed it at me. 

“Who are you, and how do you know my last name?” she demanded, all business. 

“It’s fine, I’ve only been watching you since you were seven,” I assured her. Not the best move, considering a millisecond later she touched the point to my chest. 

“Who are you?” she barked. I put my hands up, as if I were surrendering. 

“Do you promise not to murder me if I tell you?”   
“I’ll murder you if you don’t. You wouldn’t be the first.” 

I believed her. “Apollo. I’m Apollo.” 

Annabeth looked me over and laughed dryly. “That’s a good one. You’re mortal, I saw you couldn’t get through the barrier.” 

“I know. I’m mortal. It’s a punishment. Just, I don’t know, take me to your leader or something. Please.” 

She considered it for a moment before giving in.  “Alright,” she glanced from Sally to me and back to Sally. “Let’s get you two cleaned up. Chiron will figure out what to do with you.” 

“Thank you,” Sally smiled weakly, and her eyes drifted out of focus. Annabeth must’ve noticed that she looked like she was about to collapse, so she moved over and placed a supporting hand around Sally’s waist. 

We set off in silence, with me lagging awkwardly behind them. Finally, we came to a stop in front of a house. A big house.  _ The _ Big House, I guessed. Annabeth whispered something to Sally, who nodded before Annabeth slowly moved her arm away from Sally’s back and walked up the steps of the Big House. Sally swayed on the spot, so I placed a steadying hand on her shoulder without looking at her face. I know she needed some reassurance, but I just couldn’t give that to her at that moment. The only thing stopping me from crying was my ego. 

Annabeth knocked on the door, and someone—I think Dionysus, judging by the oversized cheetah-print bathrobe—opened it. They talked for a few seconds, and the person glanced at us, brow furrowing. After a minute or so, he called back into the house, announcing our presence and opened the door wider and beckoned the three of us inside. We obeyed. Annabeth took Sally by the hand and led her to a couch, where they sat down. I followed, only to be stopped by Dionysus’ hand on my shoulder. 

“Okay, kid, we need to figure out what to do with you.” 

Chiron appeared in the doorway. “Annabeth, how did they get inside?” 

“Someone tampered with the gate. There was an arrow, it was probably a Huntress. Whoever it was, they saved their lives. I think there was a minotaur.” 

“A minotaur?” Dionysus asked. “What did a minotaur want with two mortals?” 

“Three,” Sally corrected quietly and burst into tears again. 

“Where’s the third one?” he replied, as Annabeth nodded at Chiron, hugged Sally one more time, and left the house to return to her post. I shook my head. 

A look of understanding crossed Chiron’s face. “Percy’s stepdad?” 

Sally stopped crying abruptly, and her head jerked up. “Percy,” she murmured. “Percy,” louder this time. She stared at Chiron. “Where is my son?” 

“I’ll let him see you in the morning—” 

“I want to see my son,” she demanded. 

“I’m sorry—” Sally stood up and briskly walked towards the door. Chiron grabbed her by the wrists, pinning them behind her back. “I can’t let you do that right now.” 

“WHERE IS HE?” she screamed, fighting against his restraints. I slipped out of the room, unable to watch. I slid down the wall into a seated position, letting my head rest against it. I head Sally’s cries fade to a whimper amidst Chiron’s attempted comfort, followed by the creaking of the couch’s springs as she was undoubtedly lifted and placed on it, asleep now. 

There was a knock on the door. Dionysus groaned and made his way over to it, opening it a crack. A hand pushed it farther open. 

“Sorry Mr. D, I couldn’t sleep and I heard screaming. What’s going on?” came a boy’s voice.  Dionysus and Chiron exchanged a panicked look. Chiron moved to block the couch from the person’s line of vision, but the speaker craned his neck to look past him. “Who’s on the couch?” 

“Nobody important,” Dionysus answered. 

“Okay, then they’re definitely important. Who is it?”   
“Go back to your cabin, Perseus Jackson,” Chiron said with a warning in his tone. Oh, shit. This was about to get interesting. Percy pushed Chiron out of the way so he could see and stepped inside the house. He walked towards the couch, and stopped abruptly. 

“Mom,” he whispered. He whipped around to face Chiron. “What the fuck,” he said calmly, “is my mother doing here.” 

As Chiron sputtered and Percy focused his attention completely on him, I inched back into the room, careful to not be noticed. 

Sally, still sleeping, furrowed her brow and pulled her legs in, grabbing her pillow and gripping it so hard her knuckles turned white. “Percy!” she cried out, clearly in the clutches of a nightmare. Percy whirled around and rushed over, dropping to his knees by her side, taking in the blood and scrapes all over her. He shook her shoulders gently. 

“Mom? Mom, it’s okay, I’m right here.” 

Sally squeezed her eyes shut tighter. 

“ _ Don’t take him from me!”  _ she screamed over and over again, Percy’s desperate attempts to wake her to no avail. 

“Mom, please, I’m safe, I’m  _ here, _ ” Percy pleaded. I took a step towards him. In an instant, he was standing up and pinning me to a wall with Riptide unsheathed and murder in his eyes. “ _ What did you do to her?”  _

“Nothing! Nothing, I swear, I—” 

Suddenly Sally was sitting upright, wide-eyed with disbelief. “Percy?” 

Riptide clattered to the floor, and Percy let go of the collar of my shirt. Sally stood up as Percy turned around slowly, and then they were hugging. Sally’s arms were wrapped around Percy’s waist. He absolutely towered over her, but in that instant, he couldn’t have looked smaller. They hugged like if one of them let go, the other would disappear. 

Chiron, Dionysus, and I just stood there, unable to move or speak. Time seemed to stop until Chiron stepped forward and pried Percy off of her. 

“Percy, I’m sorry, you need to go back to bed.” 

“No,” he said, still staring at Sally. 

“Percy.”

“I said no.” 

“We’ll fill you in in the morning. Please.” Chiron firmly guided Percy out of the Big House. Receding back into the shadows of the room I’d retreated into before, I left Sally standing in front of the entrance to the house, her arm slightly outstretched, as if she’d wait there until Percy returned. 

I closed the door, letting darkness envelop me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to everyone who's left comments and kudos! They mean the world! <3
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](helenamori.tumblr.com), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	7. Music Puns Save My Ass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So here's the first post-real-ToA-release chapter! It'll be a miracle if Apollo ever finds even the smallest bit of chill, honestly. 
> 
> Thanks to the real MVP [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for beta-reading! 
> 
> We hope you guys enjoy Apollo's antics for this week!

Sunlight was streaming through the windows when I woke up. And really, that was just cruel. There was the sun, completely out of my control, but just within reach. Not only that, but it seemed wrong. I knew that the weather in Camp Half-Blood was controlled, but part of me felt like there needed to be dark skies and rain. A day of mourning. 

I hadn't needed one of those in years. 

There’s a sort of emptiness to grief that you forget about when you detach yourself like I had. It eats you up and spits you out to lay on the ground in silence as you try to process everything that's happened. Or maybe that was just me grieving thousands of deaths through this one person. 

Someone knocked on my door, interrupting my melodramatic train of thought. Annabeth’s voice came through the door as she called, “Rise and shine!” 

“I wish!” I yelled back grumpily, turning onto my stomach to press my face into my pillow. 

“Mr. D needs to talk to you. I’d wake up now before he storms in here and dumps a can of diet coke on your face.” 

“Alright, you got me,” I grumbled, rolling out of bed—directly onto the floor. Today was off to a  _ great _ start. 

It was still early, most people weren't up; breakfast hadn't been served yet. They were going about their lives like normal. Did they realize that nothing was ever going to be the same again? 

Probably not. People die everyday. Fact of life. Other than Percy, I was probably the only one going off my rocker over this. Did they know that someone who just the day before had been one of the most powerful beings in the universe was staying in the Big House in a pair of borrowed clothes? Well, they would soon, so that didn’t really matter. 

Chiron had been kind enough to leave another pair of clothes in the room for me. Great. More borrowed clothing. My entire body felt like it fit wrong, might as well just make me even more uncomfortable. Like, thanks, Chiron, I appreciate it. But I'd also love to not be wearing someone else's clothes while feeling like I'm wearing someone else's skin too. 

Once I changed, I sat back down on the bed. The campers who were up were going about campy things. Not that campy things were all that campy at the moment. The kids  _ had  _ just fought a war. 

Holy  _ fuck _ , they had just fought a war. Okay, not going to lie, it's really easy to forget what these kids go through. Time is weird for immortal beings. But still. 

They were recovering from a war that I had only used to my advantage because I had bigger problems to deal with than them. 

After getting ready for the day, I trudged down the hall to my  _ dear _ brother’s office. I was in for a treat. I knocked on the door, and a gruff “come in” greeted me from inside. I walked in to see Dionysus and Chiron waiting for me. I plopped down in a chair, looking at the two of them expectantly. 

“So,” Dionysus began, “you expect us to believe some scrappy 17 year old when he says he's Apollo?” 

Awesome. I sunk down into the chair, letting my head rest on my hand. “Not really,” I mumbled. 

I could practically feel the surprised looks he and Chiron were exchanging. Sure, I'd hoped they would. It'd be a hell of a lot easier if they did, but Zeus was way too much of an asshole to make it easy. And I wasn’t making it much easier for myself either. The god Apollo didn’t hang his head. The god Apollo didn’t hide from reality. He didn’t have black eyes. He didn’t admit defeat. And he  _ didn’t have crooked teeth.  _

I sighed, “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. But it’s been a long twenty four hours. I got thrown out, I got punched in the face, I did  _ something _ to this wrist,” I said, flopping my hand. “I found really nice people and got one of them  _ killed _ , and apparently food is something my body needs now. Can we debate the legitimacy of my godhood later? For now, can I just be like…random mortal Fred or something?” 

Chiron raised his eyebrows. It was one of those fatherly looks that I’d seen on television and movies. One of those  _ I know you’re not telling me everything, young man _ looks. 

Dionysus looked like he was regretting every decision he’d ever made that was currently preventing him from getting drunk as soon as possible. Which, relatable, but at least I was able to annoy Dionysus amid all the terribleness. He flicked his eyes to the ceiling and muttered, “Why.” 

“Because I’m a dumbass,” I said. “Why do you think, Dionysus? Did you think I came here for a fun time like you did?” 

“Listen up, punk,” he snarled. “I don't know who the hell you think you are—”

“I'm Apollo,” I interrupted. 

“Sure you are,” he snorted. 

“What, you don't recognize your own half-brother?” I feigned melodramatics, clutching a hand to my chest. 

“My half-brother usually doesn't look like a _Demeter kid_ could snap him in _half!”_ Dionysus slammed a hand on the table. 

“Whoa there, party boy. You're at a forte right now, but I need you at a piano,” I snapped. A smirk spread across my face. I still had it. 

Dionysus froze. He leaned back in his chair and stared at me intently for a few seconds. “Alright,” he said, “I'm starting to believe you.”

“Really?” Chiron and I asked in unison. 

Dionysus nodded. “Only Apollo would make a shitty music pun completely unironically.”

I glared. “Dude, have you  _ met  _ band kids?” 

“Don't screw this up for yourself, kid.” He turned to Chiron. “What should we do?” 

Chiron contemplated this for a moment. “First, we need to have a counselor meeting after breakfast. And,” he hesitated, “I think we need to call Rachel back from her quest.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a HUGE thank you to everyone who's left kudos and comments!! 
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](helenamori.tumblr.com), and at our individual blogs, [wearetheseven](wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	8. I Become a Nostalgic Piece of Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week was your breather. This week we return to angst. You'll never escape this angst hole we've dug for you. 
> 
> In which we got attached to a character who's already dead.
> 
> Have fun!
> 
> Thanks to [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for beta reading!!! You're the best!

The attic of the Big House was musty and was covered in dust, like always. It had a snake smell mixed with that smell your grandparent’s house has, and the same level of sentimental attachment to bullshit trinkets. You don’t need to keep that dress from the sixties, grandma, it may be vintage but it’s fucking _ugly_.

My gaze landed on jars with pickled monster heads, and I caught myself rolling my eyes. I felt a small jolt of guilt. These weren’t just trinkets to the demigods, they were proof that they were able to survive and take on all of the gods’ tests and tasks. They were proof that demigods were stronger than we sometimes believed. They held a lot more meaning to them than they ever would for me. So yeah, maybe grandma’s dress is ugly, but it’s also got some sort of value to her. Who knows what or why, but it’s there.

A chill passed over me as my eyes landed on the wooden stool by the single window in the room. Sunlight streamed through a crack in the curtains, dust dancing through the light and giving the stool a hazy glow. I walked over in a daze. I ran my finger over the top of the stool, leaving a line through the dust. My breath caught in my throat.

Okay, I might have been lying when I said I didn’t get attached to any mortals. It wasn’t a _total_ lie, but there were a few, _very_ specific people that I got attached to.

My Oracles.

Along with the Spirit, they got the smallest bit of _me_. Each of my Oracles had something special about them; this spark that I rarely found in people, besides the fact that they were just born with an inherent gift to prophesy, something so rare and unique in mortals that sometimes it was hard to find new hosts. Even my kids got only the smallest taste of it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Shit,” I mumbled, and sat down on her stool. “Shit, Delphine.”

My Oracles had to take on the anger of the gods. The anger of emperors and generals and demigods and _gods._ They couldn’t be killed early, and that just meant that the gods had to get creative. And the gods loved getting creative.

_Delphine._

I buried my face in my hands. I tried not to think about her too much; it hurt. It hurt to think about any of my Oracles who had met a bad end.

Delphine, the Oracle before Rachel— she’d been twelve when she was cursed. Who deserves that? Fucking _nobody_ , that’s who. Not even if none of the gods or the campers cared to remember her name. And that was probably the last time I’d felt as guilty as I did about Paul. Because Delphine had blamed herself. Because she’d been crying and _cursed_ and she came to me sobbing because she thought it was _her_ fault that the Oracle was going to die.

The only one who was at fault was Hades. And maybe Zeus. Not the twelve year old girl who was just doing her job. The job _I had given her._

And yet, Delphine moved on. She had a curse on her shoulders, but she shrugged it off the best she could and _smiled_ . It must’ve constantly been in the back of her mind, _I’m the last one_ , because it was always in the back of mine. But she didn’t bring it up again, she kept giving prophecies as cheerfully as one can while sending children off to their deaths.

Whenever we talked, Delphine was always smiling. She would always laugh. She lived through some of the shittiest periods of history and lived with this immense guilt, but was still able to laugh. And her laugh— her laugh would honestly make my entire week. It was cliché and cheesy as fuck, but whenever I talked to Delphine, for those few minutes, I wasn’t a god. I was just her friend. And for a little while, that was all that mattered.

“Fuck,” I said, wiping away my tears.

The last thing Delphine had said to me was _I’m sorry_. She had nothing to be sorry for. I was the one who was sorry. I was sorry for darkening her life by giving her the Spirit. Hades should’ve been sorry for cursing her and forcing her to grow up with it haunting her.

All those years when there was no Oracle, just Delphine’s _crumbling corpse_ sitting on the same stool I was sitting on, they were some of the worst. Because Delphine couldn’t really be at rest and like _hell_ she was getting the respect she really deserved from the campers. They were terrified of her. Delphine, one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’d met in my entire life, would’ve been horrified. She never wanted demigods to be afraid of her. She wanted them to trust her and understand that she was just doing what needed to be done, that she really wanted the best for them.

Delphine was one of the reasons that I’d never really spent much time with Rachel. Because I’m a fucking coward who didn’t want to hurt that way again. Look how that turned out. I barely knew Rachel at all, _and_ emotionally, I felt like I’d been repeatedly bashed in the face with a brick.

The thing about being immortal is that death sort of loses importance to you. Humans die, it's a fact of life. You don't get attached, you're always ready to let go. I'd broken rule number one of being a god. Which was fair, since I no longer was one.

It wasn’t doing me any good to sit and wallow in the past. One of the hardest parts of being immortal is knowing how to move forward. If you get stuck in the past, you lose your present, your future, and yourself. I was mortal, but I still had my hundreds of thousands of years of history to get lost in.

I pushed myself off Delphine’s stool and scrubbed the tears from my face. “I’m sorry, Delph,” I whispered, brushing my fingers against her tie-dye dress that was folded neatly on the table next to the stool. “I miss you.”

When I pushed the ladder to the attic up and closed the door, it had the same finality as Sally unlocking her apartment door. But I still wasn't ready to really say goodbye.

The Big House had never seemed particularly anything to me. It wasn't even that big, it was just a house in a camp. There was nothing special about it aside from my Oracle living in the attic and my asshole half-brother living downstairs.

The sun stretched into long shadows across the hallways. The whole house creaked and moaned like it was about to collapse inward. I could relate. And not in a _#relatable_ or whateverthefuck way either. In a _it's taking all my energy just to move right now_ way. Chiron's voice drifted from his office.

I was too much of a coward to tell Percy. I couldn't look him in the eyes and say, "Your stepfather is dead because of me." I had barely been able to look at Sally. In my time, I had gotten a lot of blood on my hands, but there weren't many times that had made me feel guilt like this before.

"What?" Percy didn't sound sad. He just sounded...empty. Maybe shocked. Not like what someone's supposed to sound when they lose someone close to them.

"I'm sorry, Percy."

I steeled myself and glanced in. Percy gripped the arms of the chair like he was hanging onto the edge of a cliff. Sally, who was barely holding it together, sat next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. I was glad to see that she was awake, and that she’d somewhat recovered, if only a little. The fact that she was able to sit upright and not cry was an improvement.

Despite the sunlight, the room was dim with the curtains drawn, and the shadows that were cast across Percy’s face made him look so much younger. He _is_ young. Only seventeen. Seventeen year olds aren't supposed to have seen their friends get gruesomely killed or fall into a literal hell pit or save the world. They're supposed to drive way too fast too late at night, drink cheap alcohol at parties, fall asleep in class, and panic about adulthood.

Percy let go of the chair. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking. Chiron moved to comfort him and I—

I left.

I silently left the Big House, trying to erase everything I'd seen from my mind. Someone's breakdown over a death of a loved one? That's personal. Not for someone who's fucked them over hundreds of times to see. And man, had there been times where I fucked Percy Jackson over.

I could put getting his stepfather killed at the very top of the list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably our favorite chapter so far (note from maya: téa is too fucking powerful. too powerful.) and we really hope you love it as much as we do!! Kudos and comments mean the world, as always!! 
> 
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	9. I Manage to Piss Off Even More People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, what's this??? The beginnings of an _actual plot???_ Anyway, enjoy Apollo being an absolute piece of shit, as per usual! 
> 
> (As a general PSA, starting from this update, we'll probably be moving to an every-two-week schedule, since both of us have been really busy and haven't had a lot of time to write. Sorry and thank you for understanding!)
> 
> Thanks to the true fave, [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for beta reading! You're the best!

I sat at the Hermes table. It would’ve been weird sitting at my own table, forgive me for wanting to put off the awkwardness of talking to my own kids for just a little while longer, and like hell I’d sit at Zeus’. 

Food appeared on a plate in front of me. My plan had been to stare at it in silence, but my body decided nourishment was necessary and not just some excuse to get out of a conversation I didn't want to have. Rude. 

"You have to give the best part of your meal to the gods," someone said as I lifted a roll to my mouth. 

I gritted my teeth. I knew that. I'd been on the receiving end of the offerings less than twenty four hours ago. Everything was just insult upon insult, and I couldn't catch a goddamn break. Dropping the roll back on my dish, I stood up. I grabbed my plate and stalked over to the altar. "Fuck you, Zeus," I muttered, dropping in the entire dish for good measure. "Fuck you."

The flames shot up in a angry wall. The campers gasped in horror. 

"Yeah yeah," I grumbled. "Be thankful I gave you anything, asshole. You don't deserve even that." 

“What did you  _ do _ ?” someone hissed when I sat back down. 

“I took sweet, sweet revenge on Zeus,” I responded. Nobody really talked to me after that. Which was fine with me, I guess. I wasn’t in the mood to draw attention to my wonderful self right then. 

The constant buzz of conversation and the clattering of cutlery on plates as all the campers ate quieted respectfully as Chiron moved into the center of the room and listed off his announcements, including calling the counselor meeting after breakfast to discuss...me. So much for keeping myself on the down-low for the moment. I was about to become the shining sun at the center of Camp Half-Blood’s solar system, whether I liked it or not. And then, I’d need to face my kids. Exciting. 

Breakfast was adjourned, and all the campers filed back to their cabins while I returned to the Big House. Despite Percy’s tears and protests, Chiron had ordered that Sally depart earlier that morning, leaving the Big House feeling empty  I hadn’t gotten to say goodbye. I hadn’t gotten to say thank you. But I brushed it off, because I was supposed to be a god. I  _ had _ to. 

Dionysus was waiting in the doorway of his office for me, holding a can of Diet Coke. Once I’d  plopped down into the chair in front of his desk, Chiron entered the room, taking his place next to Dionysus in all of his centaurian glory. 

I spun around in the chair in slow circles. “So what are we even doing?” I asked. Not that I wasn't having the time of my life sitting in a room with my absolute favorite brother and the guy who had to deal with kids that I'd ignored. 

Dionysus shrugged. “Waiting for all the head campers to show up so we can discuss what to do with you, kid.”

“Don't trivialize me.” I sunk further down into my seat. “Zeus has probably already told you  _ exactly _ what to do with me.” Zeus was a controlling asshole like that. I was a marionette, he was my puppeteer, and I hated it.  

Dionysus and Chiron exchanged a look. Like an old married couple, those two. 

Chiron folded his hands. "We have to do this as a Camp, that's how things are done around here. All decisions are made by the head campers as a whole." 

"Yeah, the democratic process. So sacred. It'll definitely change the fact that Zeus wants you to throw me to the gorgons." I slowed my spin when the first campers entered the room. 

The room filled with jokes and conversation as teenagers came in. There was a sort of melancholy to it— there was no way they didn't know something was wrong. A random mortal being let into Camp with Sally Jackson? Seemed fishy. 

Percy sat down and rested his arm on the pool table. He stared forward at the wall, but I could tell he wasn't seeing it. The dark look in his eyes was slightly more pained, but aside from his eyes, you couldn't tell anything was more wrong than usual. 

I tore my gaze away before I did something stupid, like try and talk to him. My eyes immediately landed on a boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and strikingly familiar features. Will Solace, I presumed.

Karma's a bitch. 

I settled for spinning back around to look at wall. Looking at the demigods was decidedly a Bad Idea, and I'm a huge fan of putting my problems off to deal with at some point in the future. 

Dionysus put a hand on my shoulder and spun me back around. I looked up to where the wall met the ceiling. "We've called you here today," he said gruffly, "to talk about  _ him _ ."

"Thanks for the sparkling introduction," I muttered. 

"Go ahead and give it yourself," Chiron said. 

I twisted around to give him a surprised look. "Wait, really?" 

He nodded. 

"You're giving me full reign?"

"Well—"

"You're letting  _ me _ corrupt the children?!" 

Chiron sighed, and Dionysus turned me around again. They might technically have to listen to Zeus' orders, but that didn't mean I was going to make it easy for them. You are talking to the King of Being an Asshole. 

My original plan was to sort of just word vomit like I had to Sally and Paul. They were a lot easier to talk to than teenagers. Fuck, a bunch teenagers looking at you makes you feel super self conscious. "Uh... Where do I start?"

"The beginning," one girl snapped. Yup, that'd be Clarisse. Part of me wondered if I was going to get punched before I left the room. I wouldn't be surprised. 

I raised my eyebrows. "The beginning? Okay, well, several hundreds of thousands of years ago—"

"Ugh," someone groaned. 

I folded my hands. "Hey, you said the beginning. I'm starting at the goddamn beginning."

"How about you start by telling us who you are," Annabeth suggested. Because she couldn't spare me and just tell them herself. Even if she didn't believe me, couldn't she just do me that solid?

I hesitated. What were the odds that they'd actually believe me? Only like one person in the room had ever met me, and like hell Percy was going to be on my side. His stepfather  _ died  _ because of me. The kid wasn't going to be volunteering to support my claims anytime soon. "I... Well, I'm mortal." 

"You're mortal?" one of the Stoll brothers asked. See? I do half pay attention to my family. "Why would you be here if you're mortal?”

"He's definitely mortal. Someone had to tamper with the gate to—" Annabeth stopped as I snatched Riptide from where Percy had been twirling it between his fingers. Calmly, I uncapped the pen and spun the blade towards me, plunging it through my stomach. 

All the air was sucked out of the room by their gasps. 

Rolling my eyes, I yanked the sword out. "Tada," I deadpanned, holding out my arms. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week." I capped Riptide and tossed it back to Percy. "Thanks, Squirtle." 

"Okay, so he's mortal," Clarisse said. "So fucking what? Rachel's mortal too, I don't see you dragging us here to talk about her." 

My ears perked up at the mention of Rachel. "It's not like that. I wasn't mortal yesterday morning." 

Will raised his eyebrows and his gaze darted to Dionysus. "What do you mean you 'weren't mortal'?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well..." 

Piper shook her head. "Just spit it out already!"

"I'm Apollo." 

There was a pause. 

"Yeah right," Nico di Angelo muttered. Remember when he was a cute, obnoxious little loser with an obsession with a card game? Neither do I, all I can see is the moody emo teenager that replaced him. 

"Hey, Mr. Grumpypants," I snapped. "I shouldn't have to deal with your shitty attitude just because you woke up on the wrong side of the Underworld. I have enough bullshit going on in my life right now." 

"Language," Chiron said seriously.

“Fuck you, you aren't my real dad,” I said. 

Chiron ignored me. “So, assuming he is Apollo, what do you propose we do with him?”

“Presuming he is Apollo, that means he's a son of Zeus. Meaning  _ I am the head counselor of that cabin and I refuse to share a room with him,” _ Jason piped up. 

“Jeez, I see how it is, Pikachu.” 

“What is it with you and Pokémon?” Nico asked. 

“I am— was— a god,” I replied. “I had a lot of free time to watch crappy kids cartoons up on Olympus.” 

Sensing that the meeting was getting nowhere, Chiron spoke again. “Alright,” he said, turning to me. “We're putting you in the Hermes cabin with the other unclaimed campers. And we're bringing Rachel back to either confirm or deny that he’s Apollo.” 

Percy’s head jerked up. 

“Sucks for the Hermes cabin,” Dionysus muttered. 

Chiron glared at him. “Behave!” 

“Hold on,” Percy said up. All heads turned to him. “How are we getting Rachel here?” 

Chiron gave Nico an apologetic look. “We were thinking shadow travel.” 

“WHAT?” Will exclaimed. He grabbed Nico by the hand, who blushed furiously but didn't push him away. “He is  _ not  _ shadow travelling on my watch.”  

Still red in the face, Nico responded, “I can do it.” 

“Nico, I don’t want you to become a literal ghost!” 

“Oh my  _ gods, _ ” Jason groaned. “Just kiss already.” Nico’s blush deepened, and he jerked his hand away. 

“It’s okay. I want to be useful for once.” Nico squared his shoulders and faced Chiron. “What do you need me to do?” 

The rest of the meeting was mostly logistical mumbo-jumbo. Nico would get Rachel from whatever location and bring her here by tonight, leaving Ella and Tyson to continue their quest without her. Then, based on whether she believed me or not, we’d...well, we’d wing it. 

Then the meeting was adjourned, and all there was left to do was wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos mean the world, as always! Thank you all so much for your support!!! 
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](helenamori.tumblr.com), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	10. Why Is My Child Made of Rage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand we're back!!!! with Rachel Dare!!! and an OC!!!! 
> 
> As always, thanks to the true MVP, [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for beta-reading! You're amazing <3
> 
> Enjoy!

Percy and Chiron were keeping watch on Half-Blood Hill, and I wasn’t sure whether it was for Nico and Rachel or to keep an eye on me. Probably both.  

A cool breeze ruffled my hair as I stood on the archery field. I’d been making sure I could still shoot, just so I knew my mortal form wasn’t  _ totally _ useless, and even though I didn’t want to admit it, I needed to let off steam. 

And it was nice, honestly. Every arrow that landed in the bullseye grounded me in a way. I notched one and let it fly.  _ This one’s for Delphine.  _ And another.  _ For Paul.  _ And another. 

_ For me.  _

I felt unstoppable. Once I got used to the new bow, everything I shot hit its target, and for once, the universe felt  _ right _ . 

Until everything fell to shit. 

“Apollo!” someone shouted harshly. My focus dissolved, and I shifted my attention to the source of the voice-- a girl my height with short, strawberry-blonde curls, wearing her slightly stained Camp t-shirt tied just above her hip so it showed a sliver of skin. 

She looked vaguely familiar, even though I didn’t think I’d ever seen her before, so I panicked. “Uh, I’m...Fred?” I responded. 

“Listen,” she growled. She stormed over to me and poked me in the chest aggressively. “I know you’re going by Fred, but I know you’re him. I know you’re my dad.” 

If a glare could kill, I would have already been in the Isles of the Blest after my third rebirth. Well, I’m glad at least not all of my kids are made of sunshine and pegasi. 

“I don’t know what you go by but… I know you’re...familiar?” I answered hesitantly. 

“Wow, way to not even pretend to care,” she grumbled to the heavens, rolling her eyes. “It’s almost like we’ve never spoken before. It’s Laura. Take care to remember that, or I will break you in  _ half,  _ old man.” 

“Holy shit. Are you sure you’re not a daughter of Ares?” 

She snorted. “Yeah, right. That feels great coming from my  _ actual dad.” _

Rachel appearing could not have come at a more opportune time. She and Nico materialized on the top of Half-Blood Hill, and Nico immediately collapsed to his knees. Laura opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by someone yelling, “Get him to the infirmary!” Chiron picked him up and carried him down the side of the hill, too focused on making sure the kid didn’t die to notice me. Which,  _ great! _ I could deal with that. 

Realizing she wasn’t going to get anything else out of me, Laura stomped away in a huff. 

So she was pleasant, don’t you think? 

Rachel and Percy seemed to be talking to each other, but I didn’t take much notice. I just couldn’t stop staring at Rachel. It’s not like she was beautiful or anything, there was just something special about her. Even though the Oracle’s spirit was missing, the unique spark I find in their hosts had stayed with her. 

Chiron galloped up next to me, and noticing him, the two of them made their way down the hill. Rachel enthusiastically recounted her adventures so far as Percy listened with a solemn expression on his face, clearly numb to her enthusiasm and wild gesticulation. He was numb to everything, really. When they reached the base ahead of me, Rachel caught sight of me and stopped short. 

“What the fuck,” she said, her jaw dropping. 

“What?” asked Percy, concerned.

“That’s— that’s impossible!” she stammered. “What’s Apollo doing here?”

“Are you sure this is Apollo?” Chiron asked, gesturing to me. 

“Yeah, you’d think I’d know the guy I pledged myself to,” she retorted. 

Percy’s face displayed a resignation I’d never seen before. “Why,” he groaned, and without another word, he slumped off towards the Long Island Sound. 

I approached Rachel. “Sorry I didn’t come to see you sooner…” 

Instead of responding, she nodded towards Percy. “You should probably go after him,” she suggested. 

_ Panic! At the Awkward Situation.  _ “Don’t you want to like… catch up or something? Figure out what the god of prophecy is up to these days?” 

“I’d love to chat,” she replied. “But I think you owe Percy one.” Make that a million. So I set off towards him. 

Percy sat on the edge of the dock, his feet in the water. I stayed a few feet behind him, but didn't try to hide the fact that I was there.

His shoulders rose and fell as he sighed. "Apollo." 

"Percy." 

There was a long pause before he turned his head to look at me. "This probably sucks for you, huh?"

I blinked. "For  _ me _ ?" 

Understandably, it sucked massively, but I was still stuck on the fact that Paul was  _ dead.  _ If it sucked for anyone, it sucked for the people who lost part of their family. I might've been lucky enough to experience that family for a short amount of time, but that was nothing. Part of their family was  _ gone.  _ This kept happening to the Jacksons. The Fates had some sort of vendetta against these two people who, honestly, hadn't really done anything wrong. 

"Must be weird adjusting." 

I shook my head. "I wouldn't really say I am." 

Percy's mouth twitched, the only indicator that he was currently feeling  _ anything _ . "You'll get the hang of it." 

I hesitated before moving forward and sitting down next to him. I didn't trust Poseidon enough to put my feet in the water. "So... You really do believe me. That I'm Apollo, and not just some mortal that stumbled in and managed to convince your mom that I'm Apollo? I mean, I've heard the rumors floating around camp. This isn’t 19th century Germany; I didn't lose my hearing with my powers." 

He looked out to the horizon. I wondered if he ever sat here and talked to his dad. Some of my kids talked to me. I'd never responded before. The whole not getting attached thing. 

"I believe Rachel," Percy said. "And Rachel believes you. So yeah, I guess I do believe you." 

I followed his gaze. I didn't find any comfort in the ocean like he did, but I tried to see what he saw. "Thank the gods for Rachel then, huh?" 

He hummed in agreement. 

It was weird sitting on the edge of a dock with Percy Jackson. This was the kid we'd all been keeping our eyes on since he was 12. We'd dumped the entire world on him again and again. We would laugh as he struggled, take bets on if he'd survive increasingly harder monsters. It was like a game. Increases in XP, decreases in Health, upgrade weapons and armor, monster fight after monster fight, boss after boss. 

Humans think they are the biggest thing in their world. That they're the smartest and in control of all the variables they can be. But they're wrong. 

Humans are ants. Gods crush them under our feet. 

So sitting there with Percy was unexpected and unanticipated. You could still see Tartarus in his eyes, in the rigid way he sat, and in the tenseness of his muscles. At first glance, he appeared relaxed and content. He had some of the hardest armor of anyone I'd ever known, or watched, but he was cracking. How much had Paul's death affected him? If how I was feeling was even comparable, the answer was a lot. 

He probably deserved an apology. 

Instead, I asked, "How's Rachel doing?"

Percy didn't even pretend to act surprised. He was probably done with all of the gods and our bullshit. Gods knew I was. "She's dealing. The Oracle disappearing affected her a lot, so she's just trying to recover." 

I closed my eyes as a breeze blew across the lake. "I should've known it would. I probably should've seen her sooner." 

I could feel Percy's gaze slide over to me. "Probably." There was a slight iciness to his voice. 

There he was, the Percy who would tear down Olympus and destroy us all. 

I laughed. It was bitter and harsh. And inappropriate, sure, but when have I ever been appropriate? "Probably is right, Jackson. There's a lot of things I should probably do." 

"Any chance you'll actually talk to her? Or are you just going to ignore her like you do your kids?" 

I let out a low whistle. "Talk about a hard kick to the balls."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Are you going to tell me I'm wrong?"

"I'll talk to her," I promised.

"You’d better." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. "I can't promise  _ she  _ won't kick you in the balls." 

"Awesome." 

Percy studied me. "What about your kids?" 

I shrugged. Honestly, I sort of kept pushing that to the back of my mind. Again and again and  _ again _ . I mean, who would take this twig mortal seriously other than Laura, who just wanted a punching bag? But now that Rachel was back... If Percy believed me, other people who hadn’t already were going to start believing. And that was going to lead to one hell of an awkward conversation with my own children. 

When did my life become this fucking complicated?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!! all your support means the _world_.  <3
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](helenamori.tumblr.com), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	11. This Should Be Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're SUPER excited about this chapter and we hope you guys are too!! In which there's stuff about the Quest (tm) and also a surprise at the end!!! 
> 
> Thanks so much to [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for beta-ing!!

If it were possible, lunch was even more awkward than breakfast. Which was saying something. I was still sitting at the Hermes table, going incognito was something I was used to. But Laura was glaring at me from her table—  _ my _ table— which was just so many levels of uncomfortable and terrifying, and there was a distinct space between me and the Hermes kids that wasn’t there this morning. People must’ve been finding out. Perfect.  

As campers finished eating and the chatter grew louder, Chiron cleared his throat. “Would everyone please gather by the archery field in the next five minutes?” 

The campers’ confusion was evident. As was mine. I mean, the least they could do was keep me updated on whatever shit was happening to me next. That wasn’t too much to ask, right? 

“As many of you now know,” Chiron started when everyone had settled in, “we have a…visitor.” 

Fuck. 

All eyes turned to me. I gave everyone a wave. “Hey?” 

Rachel rolled her eyes, and Laura huffed and turned away. 

Dionysus grunted to bring everyone’s attention back to him and Chiron. “That twig is actually Apollo. So basically, he’s a god, as much as you can call him that.” 

I narrowed my eyes. As soon as I had my powers back, Dionysus was getting punched in the face. 

“Apollo is mortal and without his powers—” 

The eyes that were still on me burned holes into my soul. 

“—and with the Oracle gone as well, it’s clear that it’s time for another quest.” 

_ FUCK.  _

My head snapped to Chiron so quickly that I nearly got whiplash. A quest? With what prophecy? With which demigods? For  _ what goal _ ? I’d heard rash decisions, they were the majority of the decisions I’d made, but wow. You’d think a guy like Chiron would think these things through a little bit more. 

“ _ Excuse me? _ ” I asked when I’d found my voice. “What?!”

“Do you want your immortality back or not?” Dionysus asked, raising his can of soda at me. 

I scowled. “Do you even have a  _ plan _ ?” 

“Do  _ you  _ ever?!”

Chiron sighed. “Everyone, please.” 

I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t the only one freaking out. Everyone else was chattering excitedly or fearfully, mostly depending on whether or not they had been on a quest before. But the one commonality were the whisperings behind hands and the quick glances at me. But more so than that, at  _ Percy.  _ I followed their gazes. He was standing as if he were made of stone. Fists clenched, knees locked, jaw tensed. But he was  _ trembling.  _ Slowly, imperceptibly, he began to back away from the other campers, eyes widening in panic.  _ He thought he was going to be chosen.  _ Annabeth stepped in front of him protectively, arms ever-so-slightly outstretched. 

I didn’t want to look. I turned back to Chiron. “So what’s this quest for?” All of the attention transferred back to him. 

“The quest would be to find the Oracle, and hopefully once we find it, we can have some answers on the question of your…current condition,” Chiron explained. 

“And who’s going on this quest?” Annabeth piped up from behind the crowd, still standing in front of Percy. Everyone held their breath, praying it wouldn’t be them. Kids used to be excited about these quests, but they were starting to see what they did to people.  

“Well, Apollo for sure,” Dionysus said. Ah, fuck. 

“And I’m assuming I get to babysit him?” asked Rachel from my left, sliding over next to me and resting her elbow on my shoulder. Taller than me. Figures. 

“Bitch,” I whispered, and she smirked. 

Dionysus let out a harsh laugh. “Right on, kid.” 

“Who’s the third?” Clarisse called. 

“Here’s where shit gets complicated,” Dionysus grumbled. 

Chiron smacked him on the arm. “ _ Language,”  _ he hissed. Dionysus shrugged. “What Dionysus  _ meant _ to say is that there was nobody in particular who has done anything related to this type of quest, and so we would pick whoever wanted to do it.” 

“What, you didn’t have anyone in mind, so you just thought, ‘screw it, volunteers’?” Piper shouted incredulously. 

“Yeah, basically,” Dionysus snorted. 

Chiron gave him a death glare. “Is anyone willing to step forward?” 

Everyone’s head whipped to Percy. He had a resigned look in his eyes as he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something. Annabeth turned her back to the crowd and placed her hands on his shoulders. 

“ _ No, _ ” she commanded. “Percy, you’re not going anywhere.” 

“She’s right,” Chiron agreed. “Percy, you and the rest of those of you who went on the last quest are staying here.” 

“Damn right,” Piper muttered. 

Percy nodded and dropped his head to Annabeth’s shoulder. He sighed in relief, the tension escaping his shoulders. Annabeth mouthed a silent “thank you” to Chiron, who nodded in acknowledgement. 

He spread his arms wide. “Anyone?” You could hear crickets chirping, the campers were so silent. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” I feigned excitement, flashing a grin and pointing finger guns at no one in particular. Rachel rolled her eyes at me but gave a warm smile to the campers, hiding the desperation in her face.  _ What the fuck were we going to do with a two-person quest? _

Just when it looked like I was going to spend the rest of my time alone with Rachel, an arrow pierced the ground in front of Chiron. He jumped back in surprise, and everyone gaped up at the girl standing atop Half-Blood Hill. She gave a dazzling grin and lowered her bow, satisfied with her shot. “I’ll do it,” she called down to us. 

“What?” I said incredulously. 

“Yeah!” She shouted with a voice that sounded like bells, throwing her arms out at her sides. 

“Who are you?” I asked. I hadn’t seen her at breakfast this morning, but something about her figure and her voice seemed familiar. 

She descended down the hill towards me. “You’ve been mortal for less than two days, and you already owe me, like, three of your lives,” she laughed. 

The figure in the alleyway, that singsong voice, the minotaur’s killer— “It was you,” I breathed. 

“What, the minotaur? That was nothing,” she smirked. 

“How? Oh my  _ gods, _ you’re tiny,” I exclaimed.  _ And stunning,  _ I thought.  _ Okay, brain, not right now.  _

She extended a hand out to me. “I’m Helena Mori. Hunter of Artemis,” she introduced herself, her dark brown eyes shimmering as much as her perfectly winged eyeliner was. I shook her hand lightly, still a bit in awe at how such a small person could have so much  _ power.  _ She then looked at the arrow embedded in the grass, stifled a laugh, and looked up at Chiron. “And I’m ready for whatever you shoot at me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE HOPE YOU LIKE THIS OC!!! Because she's our child and we are OBSESSED
> 
> Comments and kudos mean the world, as always. <3
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](helenamori.tumblr.com) and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	12. I Get Majorly Disappointed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lateness of this, my wifi went out. :/ Anyway, we hope that you enjoy this chapter, we're really excited about it!! And a huge thank you to our beta, [](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com>somethingmorecreative1</a>%20for%20being%20fantastic!!%0A%0AEnjoy!)

“So what’s the deal?” Dionysus crossed his arms and looked down at her. “You just show up out of nowhere and announce you’re going on the quest? We haven’t seen you actually train in three years.” 

“Just because I left doesn’t mean I stopped training. Like I said, I’m a Hunter.” Helena slightly lifted her silver bow as if to prove her point. “Artemis sent me.” 

“Even if that’s true, how do we know you’re ready for this quest? We don’t know how much you’ve improved since you were last here for longer than a day,” Chiron asked. 

“Well, I managed to kill a minotaur and disable your gate, so I must be pretty good,” she argued, placing a hand on her hip.

“Quests are serious business, Helena, we need to know your credentials. Are you a lieutenant?” 

“That would be me,” called a voice from atop the hill. A tall, muscular girl with cropped black hair and shocking blue eyes jumped down from Thalia’s tree. She strode down to us, a level of swagger in her step I could only dream to achieve. 

“Thalia?” Jason took a step forward, disbelieving. 

She gave him a quick salute. “Hey there, little bro!” 

“Hey, it’s Raichu!” I exclaimed. 

Jason scowled. “Why does she get to be Raichu?” 

“Admit it,” I said, “She’s you, but leveled up.”   
“Okay, that’s fair,” Jason resigned. He turned back to Thalia. “Why are you here?” 

“Well, I was at Camp Jupiter before Artemis asked me to come here. She figured Chiron would need a little convincing before he let Helena go on the quest.” 

“What were you doing at CJ? How’s everyone?” 

“Oh, just...visiting,” she smirked. “Hazel’s as sweet as ever, and Frank seems to be filling your shoes pretty well, kiddo. And speaking of praetors, Reyna is  _ impressive _ .” Thalia let out a low whistle, eyes sparkling. “I don’t know how you turned that girl down, because  _ damn.”  _ Jason turned a brighter shade than the Camp shirt, and Piper grinned, giving Thalia a thumbs up. 

“Thalia…” Chiron warned. 

“Sorry, Chiron. Anyway, I’m here to confirm Artemis’ endorsement of Helena for the quest. She may be tiny, but she is scary as hell.” Helena beamed. “So we’re all set then?” 

Chiron was speechless for a moment, but then seemed to surrender. “Alright, I guess we have our three. Meeting adjourned.” 

As the campers returned to their normal schedule, excitement buzzing in the air, Percy shot me an exhausted smile with Annabeth’s arm around his waist before they walked away. Thalia slung her bow over her shoulder and strode over to Jason, giving him a bear hug and ruffling his hair. 

“We should catch up,” Jason said. “It’s been a while. What’s this about Reyna?” 

Thalia raised her eyebrows mischievously and motioned for Jason to wait. She grinned at me, and I returned it. Then she saluted Chiron and called to Helena, “Yo, go easy on this one, okay?” pointing her thumb at me. 

“I’ll try,” Helena called back, winking at me and causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach.  _ Fuck.  _

I must have pulled some kind of face, because as Jason, Piper, and Thalia walked away, Rachel elbowed me in the side. “You okay there, bud?” 

“Yeah,” I replied, my voice cracking. Ah, puberty. I hadn’t been spared from that, either. 

“Hot,” Rachel bit back a laugh. 

I glared at her. “Shut the fuck up.” 

Helena flicked her hair over her shoulder before she glided over to us. 

“Hey,” I croaked, my mouth suddenly dry. Way to make a first impression. 

Rachel smiled at her. “Hey! I’m Rachel. I am — well, at least I was — the Oracle.” 

“That’s why I’m here!” Helena assured her. “To help you get the Oracle back and Apollo get his immortality back.” 

I wasn’t particularly paying attention to what she was saying so much as I was to  _ her _ . She had so much confidence and optimism. With my charm and charisma, I’m sure we’d have a great dynamic. 

Just then, Laura walked up behind her and cleared her throat. What a buzzkill. Helena turned around and tilted her head upward to see who it was.  

“Laura!” she exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. “It’s been a while!” 

“Yeah,” Laura said, eyeing me menacingly. “I’ve missed you.” Helena pulled away, and Laura let go with some degree of hesitation. 

“So, uh,” I began, desperate to regain Helena’s attention. _ Smooth _ . I quickly made an attempt to regain my composure. Helena looked back at me, and my heart skipped a beat. “You’re a daughter of Aphrodite, right?” 

“Gods, why does everyone think that? I’m a daughter of Hermes.” 

“I mean, because you’re gorgeous. But Hermes makes sense, too, because you just stole my heart.” 

I took a step towards her, mentally high fiving myself, and a romantic swell of music began playing in my head. Rachel groaned, and Helena placed her palm on my chest, pushing me back. “Stop right there, pretty boy. That’s not going to get you anywhere.” 

_ She thinks I’m pretty!  _ I thought. I’d hated that about my mortal form just a day before, but I started to think it could grow on me. 

“Aw, why not?” I grinned flirtatiously. 

“I’m a Hunter,” she said matter-of-factly. “Artemis has a strict no romance rule and is currently the only god that doesn’t want you dead. So I’m not sure you want to fuck that up.” 

“Not even for her own brother?” I pouted. 

Helena rolled her eyes. “Also,” she whipped around and pulled Laura down by the shirt collar. Their lips met, and though Laura seemed surprised at first, she quickly melted into the kiss, as if they’d done this a hundred times. When they broke apart after a few seconds, Laura had a dazed, longing look in her eyes, as if she’d never wanted the kiss to end, but Helena simply looked amused. “Also, I’m gay.” 

I looked from Laura to Helena and back to Laura. “Are you two a thing?” 

“Nope,” Helena replied, failing to notice Laura’s hand lingering above Helena’s arm before letting it drop to her side, dejected. “She’s just a really good kisser.” 

Laura smiled weakly, but said nothing. The painful silence from her was becoming too much to bear, so I figured I’d change the subject. 

“So are all of my kids gay?” I asked jokingly. 

“Yes.” Laura said matter-of-factly, looking at me with a fierce glint in her eye, “You know, if you’d ever checked in on us, you would know that.” 

_ Ouch.  _ I didn’t know to respond to that, nor did I particularly want to, so I gestured vaguely behind me. “I’m just gonna…go over there!” I walked away hurriedly. “I’ll catch up with you guys about the quest...sometime in the future. Yeah. Later.” I called over my shoulder. 

_ Holy shit.  _ See? This is _ exactly  _ what I’d been trying to avoid. 

Rachel jogged up from behind me. “Wow,” she intoned, falling into step with me. 

“What?” 

“You really do suck.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http.helenamori.tumblr.com), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	13. I Get My Ass Handed to Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apollo is so screwed. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you to [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com/) for being an incredible beta.
> 
> Enjoy!

I’d taken a lot of shit in my lifetime, but for someone who, for starters, wasn’t even my kid, and secondly, had only officially known me for a few hours, to call me out on my parenting skills? That was some next-level shit.

“Well what the fuck did you expect me to do? Talk to her?” I spluttered. 

“ _ Yes, _ ” Rachel responded. 

“What the shit would you have done if your kid who you forgot about until this morning calls you out on your shitty parenting?” I yelled, too busy defending myself to look where I was going. 

Rachel stopped short. “Uh, Apollo?” 

I followed her gaze. Ah, shit.  Crowded in front of us were a group of kids, all with blond hair, and all practically shooting heat rays at me with their eyes. The fated moment had come, I guess. I turned to Rachel for backup, but in the brief seconds that my mind had been running through denial and minor panic, she’d disappeared. 

“Thanks for nothing!” I called in the direction that I assumed she’d gone in, my heart rate increasing to an allegro. 

“I could say the same to you,” Will said, advancing towards me. If looks could kill, I’d have holes burned through my entire body.   

“Where’ve you been?” one of them shouted. 

A chorus of “Yeah!”s and “Where were you”s resounded from the rest of the group. 

I put my hands out in front of me and began to back away. “I was over there talking to Helena and Rachel about the quest?” I offered lamely. 

“I think they meant...for our entire lives,” Will responded quietly. I knew that. I  _ know  _ that. But it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to avoid answering that question like the plague. 

“I had other things to take care of!” I argued, the desperation clear in my voice. 

“Yeah, like trying to overthrow Olympus instead of helping us in the Giant War!” someone called. 

“And leaving us to heal everyone!” 

“And not being our dad!” 

That one shut everyone else up. 

“I’m sorry. I tried to be good, I really did,” I pleaded. Even  _ I’m _ not sure if I meant it or not. I just wanted them to stop.

“Can you name them?” Will murmured. 

“What?” I asked, confused. 

“The kids we couldn’t save,” he answered, an uncharacteristic harshness in his voice. “ _ Your _ kids that we couldn’t save.” 

“Their names were…” I racked my brains for the answer. Nothing came up. 

“Say their names!” he demanded. 

“I—” 

“Lee Fletcher. Michael Yew. Don’t you  _ dare _ forget them like you’ve forgotten us.” Will spun on his heel and stormed away, the rest of his cabin-mates stalking off behind him, shooting me dirty looks as they retreated back to their activities. 

_ Mortals are disposable to gods _ , I told myself over and over again.  _ So are demigods.  _

They didn’t understand. They could never understand. Getting attached to my kids would put them all in danger. Any titan, any god, any monster wanted revenge on me? If I were immortal, they’d go for what could hurt me most. And if I were attached to my kids, that would be them. I was doing them all a favor. 

But more so than that, I was saving myself. I was saving myself from the pain of losing them, whether to battle, to illness, to revenge, even to old age after a fulfilling life. 

Demigods die. I don’t. 

I know putting my emotional well-being over theirs made me a shitty parent, sure, but that didn’t stop me from doing it. 

With my godhood stripped away, I no longer had the blessing of immortality. I no longer had the shield that was Mount Olympus and godly duties to hide behind. It was as if there were a flashing sign above my head, reading, “Now, for a limited time only, you can kill a god!”, and all of my defenses had fallen. With the target shifted from my kids’ backs to mine, they were the safest they were ever going to be. 

And yet, I was in the most danger. I was in danger of loving them. 

Because clearly, when I start to get emotionally attached to anyone, my bond with them becomes the signature on their death sentence. 

“Rachel, I talked to them, are you happy now?” I called behind me. “I’ve proven myself to be a massive shitlord. You’re welcome.” 

Rachel stood up from behind the rock she’d been using to conceal herself from me. I’d thought she’d actually left, but I guess she was more of a little shit than I’d thought. Even though the fact that she hadn’t provided backup annoyed me, I couldn’t help but feel pride in my Oracle spirit for choosing so well. 

“I’m not impressed, Apollo, but it’s better than nothing, I guess.” Rachel said, crossing her arms. 

“So you just sat there and didn’t help out?” I groaned. “I could’ve used some assistance!” 

“You deserved to hear all of that. You need to become self-aware at some point,” she shrugged. “Plus, it was fun listening to you suffer.”

“You know, if I still had my powers, I could zap you to ashes.” 

“You wouldn’t, though,” Rachel laughed. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I sighed. Even if I felt I was justified for my distance from my kids, I can’t say they weren’t justified for being angry about it, either. 

“Speaking of your powers, we should probably get back to Helena and figure out the plan.” 

“Right. The quest.” I was fine talking to Helena, but after what had just happened, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see Laura again. I mean, there were only so many blows my ego could take. 

Rachel seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. “Activities started already, so Laura probably left.”  _ Thank the gods. _

Then a thought occurred to me as we started back towards Helena. I was going to be spending a lot of time with Rachel and Helena.  _ A lot. _ And both of them were very off limits, with Rachel being the “maiden Oracle” and Helena being a Hunter. Which, you know. Off-limits is sexy. And since Helena was apparently as gay as she was gorgeous, that just left…

“Hey, Rachel?” I piped up. 

“Hm?” 

“So, Helena’s gay, right?” 

“Yeah, I think she made that pretty clear,” Rachel answered, sounding confused as to where I was going with this. 

“Well, I figured if I’m going to be spending the next few weeks of my life with you two lovely ladies—” 

Rachel stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Lady?” she growled, flinching a little despite her glare. 

“What did I do now?” I asked, concern flooding my mind. Even if I  _ am _ horrible, hurting yet another person wasn’t an appealing option to me right then. 

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry.” Her expression softened and she let her arms drop. “You don’t know. I shouldn’t have gotten mad.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

She put one hand on her waist and grinned. “I tried having a gender once. I hated it.” 

“Oh! Shit, dude, _ I’m _ sorry,” I exclaimed, smacking a hand to my forehead. I honestly shouldn’t have assumed. I was a god, I should know better than anyone that gender is fucking  _ weird _ . 

“It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”. 

I chuckled. “I bet next you’re gonna tell me you tried having a sexuality and hated that too.” 

“Yeah, basically,” she laughed. 

My grin melted. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” 

“Nope!” Rachel smirked. “So now that you’ve been cockblocked just by virtue of our sexualities, let’s go back to Helena and discuss things that actually matter.”

"Yeah," I replied, gritting my teeth.  _ Well, there goes all hope.  _ "Things that actually matter." 

This quest was going to be interesting, to say the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com). B)


	14. We Make a Shot in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who decided to send these three out into the world by themselves. theyre going to kill each other 
> 
> thanks to [somethingmorecreative1](somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com) for being an incredible beta!! and to you guys for being so patient with us as we took a very long unannounced hiatus for like. zero reason. what. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“So,” I said, glancing down at the map on the ground in front of me, “Greece. Cool. Great place, love it.” 

Helena rolled her eyes. “What’s your problem?” 

I clapped my hands together. “I have no problem with Greece. It’s number one on my top ten favorite places in the world. I just have one question—”

“Then you should shut up and ask it.” 

“Well maybe I don’t want to ask it anymore.” 

Rachel groaned. “Can we just… What is it? What’s wrong?” 

“How are we getting there?” 

Helena motioned to Rachel. “We’ve planned this all out.” 

To be honest, I was just the slightest bit offended that they hadn’t included me. Just because I wasn’t a god anymore didn’t mean I was a  _ child _ . I could still do stuff.  _ Some _ stuff. I frowned and asked, “Then what’s the plan?”

“I have a private jet,” Rachel said. “We’re going to take it to Greece.”

Private jet? That definitely worked for me. The fewer mortals I had to be near, the better. I was not up for pretending to know how to act like a ‘human being’. Also, let’s be real, after going from the sun chariot, I deserved a private jet. “Awesome! Where is said private jet?” 

“Montauk Airport.”

“Sweet.” This was going smoother than I expected. Transportation, check.  _ Luxury _ transportation, double check. “So how do we get to Montauk Airport?” 

“We walk,” Rachel said simply.  

Everything good about this quest turned to dust. Walk.  _ Walk _ . To  _ Montauk Airport _ . Who did they take me for? Helena was scowling before I even opened my mouth. I opened my mouth anyway, half on principle and also to complain. 

“But I don’t  _ want to _ .” Walk from Camp Half Blood to Montauk? The fuck? 

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Apollo,” Rachel said, voice flat and dull. 

I crossed my arms. “I’m the fucking  _ sun _ , yes it  _ does _ .” 

Helena snapped. “NOT ANYMORE, DIPSHIT.” 

I took a step back. “Holy fuck.” 

Rachel stared at Helena for a second before turning back to me. “Just deal with it.” 

“Can’t we just call an uber?” I asked. What was the point of making these weird mortal things if no one was ever going to use them? 

Helena shook her head. “No phone.” 

“No money,” Rachel added. 

I frowned. “No money? You’re super rich.” 

She pulled her pockets inside out. “I don’t carry around my inheritance. Why would I?” 

“Because you  _ can _ .” 

Rachel snorted. “Right. Just suck it up, Apollo, we’re broke.”

I sighed and cracked my knuckles. I was going to have to work again, wasn’t I? Of course. Just work work work. “Don’t worry, your boy Apollo’s got this. I’ll make a drachma look like a dollar. I can just fuck with the mist.” I raised my hands to start the manipulation. 

Helena narrowed her eyes. “No you can’t.”    


I dropped my arms. “Fuck. You’re right.” 

“I know,” Helena said matter-of-factly. 

Then a thought came to me. “Wait, can’t McLean just use charmspeak on a driver? She can do that, right?” 

Rachel’s expression darkened. “She doesn’t really do that anymore.” 

“Well, why the fuck not?” I snapped. I was starting to get annoyed. 

“Last time she did that, her friend ended up dying,” Rachel said softly. 

_ Right.   _

“And regardless,  _ we still don’t have a phone _ ,” Helena interjected. 

I groaned. “Okay, so we walk.” 

“ _ Finally, _ ” Helena grumbled. 

“You seemed excited about going on the quest with me like twenty minutes ago, kid, what happened?” 

“I didn’t realize you were a fucking  _ diva, _ ” Helena shot back. 

“Did my sister tell you  _ nothing  _ about me?” I smirked. 

Helena ignored that comment. “Plus, you started hitting on me within like five seconds. I didn’t sign up to be working with one of the  _ straights,”  _ She went on, emphasizing  _ the straights _ as if each word began with a capital letter and shuddering melodramatically. 

“Excuse you, I am  _ extremely _ bisexual,” I retorted. 

Helena sighed in relief, clutching a hand to her chest. “Thank the  _ gods.”  _

“Oh my  _ gods,  _ Helena, how old are you, like ten?” 

Helena pouted. “I’m fifteen.” 

Rachel made a muffled screaming noise, and I glanced over to see her repeatedly hitting herself in the face with the map. 

“Uh… you okay there, Rach?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

Rachel held the map a few inches away from her face with closed eyes, poised to strike her forehead with it again. She exhaled through her nose, opened her eyes, and dropped the map, letting it flutter to the ground. “Yep. I’m good.” 

“What was that about?”

“I’m going on a quest with two  _ idiots _ .” 

“Oh,” Helena said, averting her gaze to the ground  and wringing her hands in her lap. “Sorry.” 

“It’s fine,” Rachel sighed. “Can we get back to the plan now?” 

“Please,” I replied, gesturing to the map. “Impress me.” 

Rachel gave a tired smile. “Thanks.” She laid the map out on the ground and pointed to the province of Boeotia. “There’s an oracle in its capital. We should go talk to her.” 

I cocked my head to the side. “Why wouldn’t we just go to Delphi?” 

“It’d be good for information,” she answered. “Plus, we don’t know  _ what’s  _ at Delphi. But she might.” 

“She’s Mnemosyne’s Oracle, right? If that’s the case, she’ll at least remember some details.” 

Rachel rolled her eyes. 

“Have you met her before?” Helena inquired. 

“Not in person, but we Iris messaged while I was looking for the Sibylline Books. She still has her Oracle, so she’s better off than me,” Rachel trailed off. 

Helena, who had a concerned expression on her face, opened her mouth to say something to Rachel, but I cut in before she could, not wanting this conversation to get sad. “Okay, so Boeotia it is. What next?” 

“We take a taxi to Delphi, and we kick some ass.” 

“What kind of ass?” I smirked. 

Rachel flicked my arm. “A donkey, for fuck’s sake. Do you think I know?” 

“Fair enough. Let’s just hope it isn’t the snake.” 

“The snake?” Helena asked. 

“Python. He’s a real slimy motherfucker,” I said, earning a groan from Rachel. “He basically likes to play keep-away with my Oracle spirit when Gaia’s pissed at the gods. He’s her son. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, I guess.” 

“But you’ve beaten him before, haven’t you?” 

“Well, technically yes,” I shrugged. “But the gods got mad at me last time, as usual. Hera made me mortal for nine years. That is the  _ opposite _ effect of what I’m going for.” 

“Oh.” 

Rachel snatched up the map. “Alright!” she exclaimed. “So I take it we just get to Delphi and face whatever comes at us.”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” 

“Everyone in?” Rachel asked, making eye contact first with me, then Helena. 

“Yeah!” Helena shouted, suddenly eager again. 

I sighed and crossed my arms. Rachel held my gaze, holding her hand out to me. 

I glanced at her hand, then back up at her, and made my decision. 

“Yeah,” I asserted, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. “I’m in.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos mean a lot!! Thank you all so much for your patience with this, really <3
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](helemori.tumblr.com), and on our individual blogs [wearetheseven](wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](zoenightstars.tumblr.com)!


	15. I Don't Deserve This Shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, both of us have been incredibly busy with the start of the school year. The quest begins! And Apollo continues to be Apollo. 
> 
> Thank you to our awesome beta [somethingmorecreative1](http://somethingmorecreative1.tumblr.com)! You're the best!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Are we there yet?”

“I swear to the gods I will stab you in the eye if you ask _one more time_ ,” Helena grumbled.

I glared at her. “ _Are we there yet_?”

“Oh my—”

“Shut _up_!” Rachel yelled. “Holy shit. This walk is only an hour and a half.”

“Good. So you only need to hear me complain for an hour and a half.”

“I swear to _gods,”_ Rachel groaned. “If I have to hear you complain for another _second_ I will fling myself into the sun.”

“Take me with you,” I jibed. Rachel just shook her head, turned her eyes back to the road, and kept walking.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence that was filled only with the sounds of our footsteps, I blurted, “So Rachel, how many fucking planes does your dad _have?”_

Rachel rolled her eyes. “I don’t really keep track. My dad’s an asshole.”

“That seems to be a common thread,” I shrugged, averting my gaze to the ground.

“Tell me about it,” Helena mumbled.

“What?” Rachel asked.

“I said tell me about it,” Helena responded. “I mean, I’ve been told my dad’s partially at fault for what happened in the Titan War because of his shitty parenting. It’s not like he’s any better to the rest of us. The only difference is that _we_ didn’t go completely batshit.”

“Did you know him?” Rachel asked suddenly. “Castellan, I mean.”

“Luke? Not really.”

I looked up. “Do you wish you had?”

Helena tensed. “No,” she said sharply, but something in her voice suggested otherwise.

“Are you _sure_?”

“If you really want to know, yes. I would’ve liked to have known him better so I could be sure I didn’t end up the same way. Happy?”

“But—”

Rachel glared at me. “How about we talk about something else now?”

But there was nothing left to say. So we just walked. And walked. And walked some more. We were so quiet that you could hear the breeze blowing through the few trees on the side of the road. You could hear a twig snap as one of us stepped on it. And… you or anyone in a fifty mile radius could hear my stomach growling.

“Holy Hermes,” Helena said, stopping in her tracks. “Is that a monster or are you just hungry?”

“I think I might be hungry.”  

“Apollo, it’s only been like two hours since we last ate. What the fuck,” Rachel said, crossing her arms and giving me an exasperated look.

“Look, I can’t control this shit. I’m new to the human body thing, cut me some damn slack.”

“Ha. Dam slack.” Rachel chuckled.

“What?”

“Sorry. Old inside joke.” She changed the subject. “Do you have food on you? Because I never want to hear that noise again. It was horrifying.”

“No.”

“I do!” Helena said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a half-eaten bag of chips.

“Holy shit,” I said, reaching for them with so much enthusiasm that I nearly knocked the bag out of her hands, “you’re my fucking savior.”

“Wow, is that all I have to do for your approval?” Helena asked.

“Yeah, pretty much,” I answered through a mouthful of chips. “Why? Do you actually care about my approval?”

“ _Fuck_ no.”

“Jeez, okay, I was just wondering,” I replied, grabbing another handful. The chips were delicious in my current hungry state. They were a little stale and a little too salty, but as far as I was concerned, they tasted like ambrosia.

“Apollo, stop being such a fucking slob,” said Rachel.

“Fuck you,” I said, shoving them into my mouth.

Helena groaned. “Giving you chips is a mistake I will never make again.”

“No, please, be my guest. Do this all the time.” I tipped the bag, getting the remnants of the chips into my mouth.

“Can we keep going now?” Helena asked when I finished.

“No,” I whined. “They were salty so now I’m thirsty.”

“Dude, we know you’re thirsty. We’ve heard stories about you, when are you not?” Rachel smirked.

“I’m thirsty for _water_ , you absolute walnut. I’m not always out for The D or whatever.”

“Good thing, because you’re not getting any looking like _that,”_ Helena joined in.

“Shit, dude,” I gasped, mimicking shock and hurt, “you hit me right where it hurt.”

“The balls?” Helena asked. “Because I can hurt you there, too.”

“Please don’t,” I whimpered, my voice cracking. Rachel and Helena dissolved into giggles.

“Okay,” Rachel choked out through peals of laughter. “ _Now_ can we leave?”

“After you,” I drawled, sinking into a bow and gesturing dramatically, disguising my slightly throbbing pride.

Helena composed herself to continue to bitch about me. Figures. “Fucking finally,” she grumbled.

“Fucking chill, it was only like a five minute break.”

“ _You_ fucking chill, it’s only an hour and a half walk.” Rachel retorted.

“Nobody asked you.”

“Fuck this. You guys are going too slowly. I’m going to run ahead and find the plane,” Helena cut in.

“Go for it,” Rachel said. “Holler when you find it.”

“No problem!” Helena replied, and scampered off.

Rachel watched after her. “I like that girl.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I guess I do too.”

Rachel’s eyes twinkled and she opened her mouth to say something, but I whirled to face her and put my finger on her mouth in a shushing motion. “Not a _word_ about this gets back to Helena.”

“If you say so,” Rachel laughed.

I punched her arm, which just made her laugh harder.

“What?” I asked, as Rachel continued to lose her shit. “ _What?”_

She didn’t answer me, and by the time she fully stopped laughing about five minutes later, the airport finally came into view.

“The promised land!” I shouted, relief flooding over me. I felt like motherfucking _Moses_ or some shit; like I’d participated in the exodus from Camp Half Blood or whatever.

“Relax, Apollo, the walk wasn’t _so_ bad.”

“I know,” I retorted. “I just tend to overdramatize things.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

I rolled my eyes.

All of a sudden, as we grew closer to the airport, I felt the temperature start to rise. And as the usual sun god, I generally knew that’s not how the weather usually works, not in that short amount of time. So as we approached the first airplane, I, being me, decided to make a shitty joke out of it.

“Is it getting hotter, or is it just me?” I grinned.

“It’s getting hotter,” Rachel said, clearly not thinking I was as funny as I did.

Just then, a tall, blond man with a _great_ tan and glowing eyes stepped out from behind the plane. His purple robes and laurels made him seem regal, unearthly. My jaw dropped in disbelief. “You’re both wrong,” Helios chuckled. “It is, in fact, _me._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient with us! All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated <3
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com), and on our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> We hope you enjoyed chapter 1 and stay tuned for chapter 2 in like two weeks! :) (unless you want it sooner? Let us know!)
> 
> Comments and kudos are always loved, we'd love to know what you think!!
> 
> We're on tumblr at [helenamori](http://helenamori.tumblr.com/), and at our individual blogs [wearetheseven](http://wearetheseven.tumblr.com/) and [zoenightstars](http://zoenightstars.tumblr.com/). B)


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